Template:1080-1081 - Revision history

Jere Krischel at 08:05, 7 February 2006

2006-02-07T08:05:29Z

Ken Conklin at 22:04, 31 January 2006

2006-01-31T22:04:57Z

Jere Krischel at 05:14, 12 December 2005

2005-12-12T05:14:44Z

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1080 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
Mr. BELKNAP. Yes; for the protection of the treaty.
Senator BUTLER. Otherwise you would not think of doing such a
thing?
Mr. BELKNAP. No; such conditions could not exist there. When I
was a midshipman on board the frigate Puritan, at Valparaiso, Chile,
they held a presidential election in that country, and the party defeated
in that election got up a revolution, and one alternoon we lauded the
troops. We landed a force on that shore, and we remained on the
wharf there several hours; the British ships did the same thing. We
did not proceed up into town, but we were there for the purpose of protecting
the consulate if necessary. In November, 1863, the Chinese at
the Barrier Forts fired on our flag. They fired from two of four forts;
we captured all those forts, blew them up, razed them to the ground,
and retired.
Senator BUTLEII. That was an act of war.
The CHAIRMAN. But the firing began the war.
Mr. BELKNAP. The commodore in command was commended by the
Secretary of the Navy for such action.
Senator BUTLER. YOU would do that in Liverpool?
Mr. BELKNAP. Yes ; if the flag-was deliberately fired upon.
Senator BUTLER. If your flag were fired upon, you would not stop
to consider the strength of the Government, but would fire in return?
Mr. BELKNAP. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. I have drawn up a question which, according to my
view, presents the true relations of the commander of a ship in a port
to the minister of the United States who may be resident there at the
time. When a war ship of the United States is in a port where there
is a civil commotion which threatens to become riotous, to endanger
the treaty rights of the citizens of the United States, and the question
arises whether it is proper to land troops to preserve order, is it not
the right and duty of the minister of the United States to ascertain
and determine whether the condition of the country is such as to require
the landing of troops? In such a case, and as to the question whether
the necessity for the landing of troops actually existed, you would feel
bound, I suppose, if in command of a war ship of the United States,
to respect and follow the request of the minister of the United States
to land the troops?
Mr. BELKNAP. A minister of the United States, of course, has a perfect
right to make any request of that sort of the commander of a ship,
of a squadron, but it is the duty under the regulations of the Navy
Department for the commanding officer of the ship to examine the
matter himself and to decide for himself whether he ought to land the
force or not, because the responsibility under the regulations of the
Navy Department finally rests upon him. If any great mistake is made
by which injury comes to the United States in their interests, or any
citizen suffers harm through the action of a commander in chief or a
commander of a vessel, he is responsible. On the contrary, if he make
a mistake in landing the force he is also responsible under the regulations.
Senator PRYE. In the recognition of a de facto government, to whom
does the recognition belong—to the minister of the United States resident
in such country or to the naval officer?
Mr. BELKNAP. It belongs to the minister.
Senator FRYE. The naval officer has nothing to do with that question
of recognition ?
Mr. BELKNAP. Nothing to do with it. I was commander of the war
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 1081
ship Alaska when the minister of the United States in Peru, Mr. Christiancy,
recognized a new government during the Chilean-Peruvian
wars. That government was overthrown, and when Mr. Hurlbut
became minister he recognized another government.
Senator FRYE. You were there all the time ?
Mr. BELKNAP. Yes. When I was at Honolulu in 1874 everything
was at the lowest ebb; property was worth nothing, the people could
hardly get along. But that fall of 1874 Kalakaua, accompanied by
the American minister, Mr. Pierce, came the United States and a treaty
of reciprocity was negotiated. From that moment an era of prosperity
dawned upon those islands and trade there increased several hundred
per cent. I think the 35,000,000 pounds of sugar exported from there
in 1875 went up to 136,000,000 pounds in 1800; and the product of rice
increased in the same proportion. In fact the United States made
those islands what they are—gave them all their prosperity. The town
of Honolulu is as much an American town as any town in this country.
In 1882, when commanding the Alaska, I was sent in great haste to
Honolulufrom South America because troubles were apprehended there.
The reciprocity treaty was about to expire, and many people there were
afraid that the United States would not renew it. Furthermore,
Kalakaua had gone into such extravagant expenditures that the people
were getting restive under it. After being King for eight years he
took the foolish notion into his head to be crowned, a ceremony carried
out at enormous expense, and the taxpayers of the islands, a majority
of whom were Americans, were stirred up over it and trouble was
apprehended.
I arrived there early in September, 1882, and I stayed there two
months. During that time there was a meeting of all the planters on
the islands in a convention at Honolulu. There was considerable
excitement, but finally, after some conferences with the Government,
the convention adjourned and everything passed off quietly. There
was no trouble; but at that time I was prepared to land a force in case
of any outbreak. The English were very anxious to know what we
were going to do. Mr. Wodehouse, the British commissioner, was there.
One afternoon, or one morning, rather, Mr. Dagget, our minister, and
myself got an invitation to dine on a British man-of-war which was in
the harbor. We were somewhat surprised at that. When we went on
board to dinner that evening we found Mr. Wodehouse there. During
the dinner champagne flowed pretty freely. After the coffee and cigars
were brought in Mr. Wodehouse attempted to find out what we were
going to do there in a certain emergency. But they got no satisfaction;
Mr. Dagget and I simply confined ourselves to general talk. I
commanded at Mare Island from 1886 to 1889. That was during Mr.
Cleveland's first administration. Grave troubles were apprehended at
Honolulu at that time, and we kept our ships constantly there. One
afternoon I received a confidential telegram from the Secretary of the
Navy asking me if I could be ready at a moment's notice to go over to
Honolulu. 1 telegraphed back "yes." Two or three days after that I
got a telegram from the Secretary of the Navy saying that, after a consultation
with Mr. Bayard, Secretary of State, they had concluded to
send an order over to the minister by a telegram through me, which I
sent direct from the navy-yard to Honolulu.
Senator FRYE. DO you know what the nature of that telegram was?
Mr. BELKNAP. I do not remember it, but it must be on file in the
Navy Department. For the last ten years we have kept our ships in

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{p|1080}}
-Mr. BELKNAP:  Yes,  for the protection of the treaty.
+Senator {{sc|Butler.}} Otherwise you would not think of
 doing such a thing?
-Mr. BELKNAP:   No such conditions could not exist
+Mr. {{sc|Belknap.}}  No such conditions could not exist
 there.   When I was a
 midshipman on board the frigate ''Puritan'', at
@@ Line 12: / Line 11: @@
 presidential election in that country, and the party
 defeated in that
-election got up a revolution, and one alternoon we
+election got up a revolution, and one afternoon we
 lauded the troops. We
 landed a force on that shore, and we remained on the
@@ Line 26: / Line 25: @@
 blew them up, razed them to the ground, and retired.
-Senator BUTLER:   That was an act of war.
+Senator {{sc|Butler.}} That was an act of war.
-The CHAIRMAN:   But the firing began the war.
+The {{sc|Chairman.}} But the firing began the war.
-Mr. BELKNAP:   The commodore in command was commended
+Mr. {{sc|Belknap.}} The commodore in command was commended
 by the Secretary of
 the Navy for such action.
-Senator BUTLER:   You would do that in Liverpool?
+Senator {{sc|Butler.}} You would do that in Liverpool?
-Mr. BELKNAP:  Yes; if the flag was deliberately fired
+Mr. {{sc|Belknap.}} Yes; if the flag was deliberately fired
 upon.
-Senator BUTLER:   If your flag were fired upon, you
+Senator {{sc|Butler.}} If your flag were fired upon, you
 would not stop to
 consider the strength of the Government, but would
 fire in return?
-Mr. BELKNAP:   Yes.
+Mr. {{sc|Belknap.}} Yes.
-The CHAIRMAN:   I have drawn up a question which,
+The {{sc|Chairman.}} I have drawn up a question which,
 according to my view,
 presents the true relations of the commander of a ship
@@ Line 72: / Line 71: @@
 minister of the United States to land the troops?
-Mr. BELKNAP:   A minister of the United States, of
+Mr. {{sc|Belknap.}} A minister of the United States, of
 course, has a perfect
 right to make any request of that sort of the
@@ Line 84: / Line 83: @@
 responsibility under the regulations of the Navy
 Department finally rests
-upon him.   If any great mistake is made by which
+upon him.  If any great mistake is made by which
 injury comes to the United
 States in their interests, or any citizen suffers harm
@@ Line 94: / Line 93: @@
 under the regulations.
-Senator FRYE:   In the recognition of a ''de facto''
+Senator {{sc|Frye.}} In the recognition of a ''de facto''
 government, to whom does
-the recognition belong---- to the minister of the United
+the recognition belong-to the minister of the United
 States resident in such
 country or to the naval officer?
-Mr. BELKNAP:   It belongs to the minister.
+Mr. {{sc|Belknap.}} It belongs to the minister.
-Senator FRYE:  The naval officer has nothing to do
+Senator {{sc|Frye.}}The naval officer has nothing to do
 with that question of
 recognition?
-Mr. BELKNAP:   Nothing to do with it. I was commander
+Mr. {{sc|Belknap.}}  Nothing to do with it. I was commander
 of the war
 {{p|1081}}
 ship Alaska when the minister of the United States in
 Peru, Mr. Christiancy,
@@ Line 119: / Line 117: @@
 recognized another government.
-Senator FRYE:   You were there all the time??
+Senator {{sc|Frye.}} You were there all the time?
-Mr. BELKNAP:   Yes.  When I was at Honolulu in 1874
+Mr. {{sc|Belknap.}}  Yes.  When I was at Honolulu in 1874
 everything was at the
 lowest ebb; property was worth nothing, the people
@@ Line 134: / Line 132: @@
 ,000,000 pounds of
 sugar exported from there in 1875 went up to
-,000,000 pounds in 1800; and
+,000,000 pounds in 1890; and
 the product of rice increased in the same proportion.
 In fact the United
-States made those islands what they are---- gave them all
+States made those islands what they are-gave them all
 their prosperity. The
 town of Honolulu is as much an American town as any
 town in this country. In
-, when commanding the Alaska, I was sent in great
+, when commanding the ''Alaska'', I was sent in great
 haste to Honolulu from
 South America because troubles were apprehended there.
@@ Line 147: / Line 145: @@
 treaty was about to expire, and many people there were
 afraid that the
-United States would not renew it.    Furthermore,
+United States would not renew it.  Furthermore,
 Kalakaua had gone into
 such extravagant expenditures that the people were
@@ Line 207: / Line 205: @@
 direct from the navy-yard to Honolulu.
-Senator FRYE:   Do you know what the nature of that
+Senator {{sc|Frye.}} Do you know what the nature of that
 telegram was?
-Mr. BELKNAP. I do not remember it, but it must be on file
+Mr. {{sc|Belknap.}} I do not remember it, but it must be on file
 in the Navy
 Department.   For the last ten years we have kept our
 ships in